27 Apr 2022

The law must carefully consider if bail is necessary as it has become clear offenders go on to break the law whenever it is granted to them.

Kgosi Mangau Mareetsane of Ngwatle, said this when giving a vote of thanks at a consultative meeting held by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Review of the Constitution in Ukhwi on yesterday.

Kgosi Mareetsane observed that in reviewing the constitution, this provision of law should be looked into particularly given the upward swing of criminal activity in the country.

Further, he complained about the laxity of the law in cases of defilement.

He alleged that perpetrators, especially in Ukhwi and nearby villages were discharged even though they had destroyed their victims future.

Kgosi Mareetsane also appealed for the law to make bogosi more attractive so that the institution could be able to retain dikgosi and discourage them from joining politics.

Regarding what he saw as the law’s non-recognition of other tribes, he wondered whether the ongoing constitutional review exercise would reverse the status quo.

“Molao wa re Batswana ba 8, ba bangwe ke meratshwana. A jaanong ba ba neng ba saletse kwa moa morago ba, ba ba neng e se Batswana sentle, a jaanong ba tlaa fetoga merafe?” he asked.

Mr Baitshenyetsi Gabosekwe, who represented Ukhwi residents at the meeting requested for the law to proscribe bail for murder suspects.

He also asked that dikgosi and members of Village Development Committees be given the responsibility to assist social welfare officers in assessing residents for eligibility to various social welfare schemes.

Mr Gabosekwe said because they worked closely with communities that made them have logical  first point of call whose input could be invaluable in determining residents’ eligibility for assistance.

Ngwatle representative Mr Nelson Ditlhobolo proposed that the government should be compelled by law to compensate families of people who lost their lives due to the negligence of medical personnel in public health facilities.

He said families went through untold emotional pain due to this, hence government should take responsibility and make the necessary amends by compensating the affected families.

“Because of their negligence, health workers at times leave objects in patients’ bodies during surgery and people often die as a result of this. Government should therefore shoulder the responsibility when such happens, and dutifully compensate the deceased’s loved ones,” he proposed.

Mr Ditlhobolo on the other hand criticised the “today’s government” for not effecting referendums to gauge public opinion on certain critical issues.

He said government in the past periodically undertook referendums on key issues, opportunities that he said used to give Batswana the platform to contribute to decision making.

Mr Leteane Karoga of Ukhwi complained about lack of equity in distribution of developmental projects across the country.

That, he said, was notwithstanding the expectation for all Batswana, regardless of how disadvantaged they were, to partake in key exercises such as the ongoing constitutional review process.

Mr Gadiephimolwe Kenekare of Ngwatle appealed for the constitution to recognise Basarwa and give them land.

“Paakanyo melao e, le rona a e re tsenye mo molaong gore motho wa letso la Sesarwa a itsagale fa a leng teng. Ga ke itse gore Mokgalagadi le Mosarwa ka gore ga ba kgaogane, Mosarwa o batlelwa fa kae; lefatshe la gagwe le fa kae?” he asked, meaning that Basarwa did not have their own land unlike the Bakgalagadi with whom they have been co-existing for ages. ENDS